2022 Sunderland City Council election

Last updated
2022 Sunderland City Council election
Coat of arms of Sunderland City Council.png
  2021 5 May 2022 2023  

One third of 75 seats on Sunderland City Council, except Copt Hill
38 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LeaderGraeme MillerNiall HodsonAntony Mullen
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative
Leader's seatWashington SouthMillfieldBarnes
Seats before431219
Seats won1654
Seats after421418
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg2Decrease2.svg1
Popular vote30,68710,35520,986
SwingIncrease2.svg5.4%Increase2.svg0.1%Decrease2.svg3.9%

Sunderland2022ElectionResult.png
Map showing the results of the 2022 Sunderland City Council election, including Copt Hill

Majority party before election

Labour

Majority party after election

Labour

The 2022 Sunderland City Council election took place on 5 May 2022 to elect members of Sunderland City Council. This is on the same day as other elections across the United Kingdom.

Contents

Background

24 of the 75 seats will be up for election [1] All 25 wards were originally due to elect councillors, however the election in Copt Hill ward was postponed following the death of the city's only UKIP candidate. [2]

Since the first election in 1973, Sunderland has been a strongly Labour council, which consistently achieves over 60% control of the council. [3] 2021 represented the worst year for Labour in terms of seats; the party lost 9 with 39.2% of the vote. [4] The Conservatives gained 6 with 34.8%, the Liberal Democrats gained 4 with 15.4%, UKIP did not make any further gains with 4.5%, and the Green Party lost representation on the council with 5.2%.

There had been speculation ahead of the election that the Labour Party could lose overall control of Sunderland City Council for the first time in its history.

The seats up for election this year were last elected in 2018. In that election, Labour won 61 seats (a net loss of 4 seats). The Conservatives gained 2 seats while the Liberal Democrats gained 3 seats on the Council. 1 independent councillor lost their seat.

Election results

After the election, the Labour Party maintained control of the Council. Labour's majority was reduced to 4, having lost 1 seat to the Liberal Democrats in Doxford Ward. In Fulwell, the Conservatives also lost a seat to the Liberal Democrats with a swing of 15% [5]

The results defied media speculation that Labour would continue to haemorrhage seats like in 2021 and 2019. Labour leader Graeme Miller commented that "It was a good night" for his party because they "stopped the rot". Conservative Group leader Anthony Mullen, blamed his party's poor performance on the Partygate Scandal, after the Conservatives failed to gain seats in Washington South, Ryhope, St Anne's or Silksworth. Liberal Democrat leader Niall Hodson said his party's gains from both Labour and the Conservatives were a result of “good candidates working hard for a long period of time”. [6]

2022 Sunderland City Council election
PartyThis electionFull councilThis election
SeatsNetSeats %OtherTotalTotal %VotesVotes %+/−
  Labour 16Decrease2.svg 162.5264254.729,71844.6+5.4
  Conservative 4Decrease2.svg 116.7141824.020,60230.9-3.9
  Liberal Democrats 5Increase2.svg 220.891418.710,29415.5+0.1
  Independent 0Steady2.svg0.0111.31,4372.2+1.4
  Green 0Steady2.svg0.0000.04,4106.6+1.4
  Freedom Alliance 0Steady2.svg0.0000.01200.2+0.2
  Communist 0Steady2.svg0.0000.030<0.1-0.1
  UKIP 0Steady2.svg0.0000.000.0-4.5

Council composition

In the last council, the composition of the council was:

4319121
LabourConservativeLib
Dem
INDY

After the election, the composition of the council was:

4218141
LabourConservativeLib
Dem
INDY


Ward results

An asterisk indicates an incumbent councillor.

Barnes

Barnes [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Antony Mullen* 1,637 47.6 Decrease2.svg0.7
Labour Abul Haque1,32938.6Decrease2.svg2.4
Liberal Democrats Tim Ellis2647.7Increase2.svg1.7
Green Rachel Featherstone2126.2Increase2.svg1.5
Majority 3089.0Increase2.svg1.7
Turnout 3,45341.9Increase2.svg1.6
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.svg 0.9

Castle

Castle [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Allison Chisnall 1,308 64.2 Increase2.svg6.1
Conservative Paul Burke50524.8Decrease2.svg2.5
Green Alison Ogle22311.0New
Majority 80339.4Increase2.svg9.3
Turnout 2,05025.2Decrease2.svg1.1
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg 4.3

Copt Hill (countermanded)

Copt Hill [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Tracy Dodds* 969 44.3 Decrease2.svg4.3
Independent Kathleen Pearson60627.7New
Conservative Patricia Ann Francis38417.6Increase2.svg2.8
Green Andrew Robertson1587.2Increase2.svg3.5
Liberal Democrats Mary Ann Boddy612.8New
Majority 36316.6Increase2.svg0.6
Turnout 2,18824.3Decrease2.svg8.1
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg16%

Note: This ward election took place on Thursday 16 June 2022. Copt Hill ward election was rescheduled due to the death of UKIP candidate Reg Coulson. [9]

Doxford

Doxford [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Allen Curtis 1,511 49.7 Increase2.svg1.0
Labour Steven Hansom85128.0Increase2.svg2.3
Conservative Tom Cuthbertson56518.6Decrease2.svg3.5
Green Richard Bradley1153.8Increase2.svg0.3
Majority 66021.7Decrease2.svg1.3
Turnout 3,04838.4Decrease2.svg1.1
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing Decrease2.svg 0.7

Fulwell

Fulwell [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Bond 2,193 52.4 Increase2.svg15.9
Conservative Sandra Boyers1,25429.9Decrease2.svg12.5
Labour Iain Kay64815.5Decrease2.svg1.4
Green Liam Dufferwiel932.2Decrease2.svg2.0
Majority 93922.5Increase2.svg16.6
Turnout 4,18847.3Decrease2.svg1.7
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing Increase2.svg14.2

Hendon

Hendon [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Michael Mordey 1,087 45.7 Increase2.svg10.9
Liberal Democrats Tom Livingstone90938.2Decrease2.svg4.0
Conservative Syed Ali28111.8Decrease2.svg3.7
Green Helmut Izaks1044.4Decrease2.svg0.1
Majority 1787.5Increase2.svg0.1
Turnout 2,39029.3Decrease2.svg1.4
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg7.5

Hetton

Hetton [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Claire Rowntree* 1,320 45.1 Increase2.svg0.4
Independent David Geddis99136.3Increase2.svg16.6
Conservative Adelle Burnicle33912.4Decrease2.svg7.0
Liberal Democrats John Lennox1686.2Increase2.svg4.0
Majority 2398.8Decrease2.svg16.2
Turnout 2,73529.6Decrease2.svg1.3
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg8.5

Houghton

Houghton [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mark Burrell 1,655 55.7 Increase2.svg8.7
Conservative Craig Morrison68122.9Decrease2.svg8.8
Independent Donna Thomas44615.7new
Green Emma Robson1695.7Decrease2.svg0.8
Majority 97432.8Increase2.svg16.5
Turnout 2,96429.3Decrease2.svg0.8
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg8.3

Millfield

Millfield [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Wood* 1,227 49.0 Decrease2.svg16.8
Labour Kingsley Okojie92336.9Increase2.svg13.3
Conservative Gwennyth Gibson25010.0Increase2.svg2.6
Green Gary Ogle642.6Increase2.svg0.7
Communist Julio Johnson301.2Steady2.svg0
Majority 30412.9Decrease2.svg29.3
Turnout 2,50333.3Decrease2.svg1.9
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease2.svg15.1

Pallion

Pallion [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats George Smith* 1,470 57.9 Decrease2.svg1.5
Labour Karen Noble72328.5Increase2.svg8.7
Conservative Judith Porter26610.5Decrease2.svg6.4
Green Dorothy Lynch793.1Decrease2.svg0.7
Majority 74729.4Decrease2.svg10.2
Turnout 2,54332.8Increase2.svg0.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease2.svg5.1

Redhill

Redhill [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paul Stewart* 1,065 56.3 Increase2.svg5.7
Liberal Democrats Steven Donkin41121.7new
Conservative Sue Leishman32617.2Decrease2.svg13.5
Green Billy Howells894.7new
Majority 65434.6Increase2.svg14.9
Turnout 1,90124.1Decrease2.svg0.1
Labour hold Swing Decrease2.svg8.0

Ryhope

Ryhope [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Martyn Herron 1,311 45.7 Increase2.svg2.9
Conservative Kevin Leonard1,28344.7Decrease2.svg4.4
Green Robert Welsh2779.6new
Majority 281.0Increase2.svg5.3
Turnout 2,81133.4Increase2.svg2.4
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg3.7

Sandhill

Sandhill [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Crosby* 1,274 53.2 Increase2.svg2.4
Labour Debra Waller80033.4Increase2.svg1.0
Conservative Christine Reed24910.4Decrease2.svg2.3
Green Laura Hind713.0new
Majority 47419.8Increase2.svg3.4
Turnout 2,40431.2Increase2.svg2.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase2.svg1.7

Shiney Row

Shiney Row [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mel Speding* 1,658 55.2 Increase2.svg5.5
Conservative Richard Vardy88220.4Decrease2.svg12.0
Green Thomas Mower34511.5Increase2.svg2.2
Freedom Alliance Michael Kennedy1204.0new
Majority 77625.8Increase2.svg8.5
Turnout 3,01631.6Decrease2.svg0.6
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg4.1

Silksworth

Silksworth [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Phil Tye* 1,618 56.2 Increase2.svg13.6
Conservative Jack Simm92332.1Decrease2.svg8.7
Green Christopher Crozier33711.7Increase2.svg4.9
Majority 69524.1Increase2.svg22.3
Turnout 2,88536.5Increase2.svg3.0
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg11.2

Southwick

Southwick [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Alex Samuels* 1,309 58.6 Increase2.svg7.8
Conservative John Wiper62327.9Decrease2.svg3.8
Green Morgan Seed28012.5Increase2.svg8.1
Majority 68630.7Increase2.svg11.6
Turnout 2,23228.3Decrease2.svg1.4
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg5.7

St. Anne's

St. Anne's [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Susan Watson 1,061 48.8 Increase2.svg6.9
Conservative Bryan Foster84038.6Decrease2.svg3.3
Green Raymond Moore27312.6new
Majority 22110.2Increase2.svg10.1
Turnout 2,18328.0Increase2.svg1.8
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg5.1

St. Chad's

St. Chad's [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Simon Ayre 1,453 49.5 Decrease2.svg10.4
Labour Martin Old97433.7Increase2.svg1.2
Liberal Democrats Anthony Usher1458.8Increase2.svg1.2
Green Alyson Kordbarlag1147.9new
Majority 47915.8Decrease2.svg11.6
Turnout 2,69736.8Decrease2.svg0.8
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.svg5.8

St. Michael's

St. Michael's [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Michael Dixon* 1,832 53.8 Decrease2.svg3.3
Labour Chris Smith1,20135.3Increase2.svg9.0
Green John Appleton2316.8Decrease2.svg6.5
Liberal Democrats Colin Wilson1394.1Increase2.svg0.7
Majority 63118.5Decrease2.svg12.3
Turnout 3,40840.7Increase2.svg3.1
Conservative hold Swing Decrease2.svg6.2

St. Peter's

St. Peter's [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Lynn Vera* 1,567 49.4 Decrease2.svg4.4
Labour Tom Newton1,06833.6Increase2.svg2.2
Liberal Democrats Peter Walton2808.8Increase2.svg3.4
Green Auburn Langley2507.9Increase2.svg1.5
Majority 49915.8Decrease2.svg6.6
Turnout 3,17540.2Decrease2.svg1.4

Washington Central

Washington Central [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Linda Williams* 1,683 59.1 Increase2.svg4.0
Conservative Derek Dunn88331.0Decrease2.svg0.3
Green Emma Cutting2679.4Increase2.svg2.2
Majority 80028.1Increase2.svg4.3
Turnout 2,84634.1Decrease2.svg0.5
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg2.2

Washington East

Washington East [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Logan Guy 1,682 53.3 Increase2.svg5.4
Conservative Chris Eynon1,22338.7Decrease2.svg4.4
Green Michal Chantkowski2397.6Increase2.svg1.7
Majority 45914.5Increase2.svg9.7
Turnout 3,15835.2Increase2.svg0.8
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg4.9

Washington North

Washington North [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jill Fletcher* 1,349 61.2 Increase2.svg8.4
Conservative Hilary Johnson55225.0Decrease2.svg6.7
Green Scott Burrows29813.5Increase2.svg7.1
Majority 79736.2Increase2.svg15.1
Turnout 2,20327.8Decrease2.svg1.9
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg7.6

Washington South

Washington South [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Graeme Miller* 1,454 47.4 Increase2.svg10.9
Conservative Peter Noble1,31042.7Increase2.svg5.7
Liberal Democrats Sean Terry3039.9Increase2.svg2.4
Majority 1444.7Increase2.svg4.2
Turnout 3,07840.1Increase2.svg5.0
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg2.6

Washington West

Washington West [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Dorothy Trueman* 1,641 58.4 Increase2.svg6.4
Conservative Sam Cosgrove87831.2Decrease2.svg1.4
Green Paul Leonard28010.0Increase2.svg1.4
Majority 76327.1Increase2.svg7.7
Turnout 2,81232.4Increase2.svg0.3
Labour hold Swing Increase2.svg3.9

References

  1. "Election timetable in England". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  2. Graham, Hannah (21 April 2022). "Vote on hold as 'dedicated' council candidate dies during campaign". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  3. "Sunderland City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  4. Graham, Hannah (8 April 2022). "Tories hope for Labour loss in Sunderland council elections". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  5. "'Complacent' Labour and Conservatives handed Lib Dems gains in Sunderland local elections". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  6. "'Complacent' Labour and Conservatives handed Lib Dems gains in Sunderland local elections".
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "List of candidates standing" (PDF). Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  8. "Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  9. "New date set for Copt Hill election after death of candidate halted ballot". www.sunderlandecho.com. Retrieved 19 May 2022.